Power control system and program

ABSTRACT

[Object] To control power usage by a group including a plurality of consumers by performing additional adjustment according to a specific operation condition of each individual piece of consumer equipment and appropriately controlling power usage per piece of consumer equipment.[Solution] A system for performing power control such that a target power set for a group including a plurality of consumers is not exceeded includes a first prediction unit 320 that performs prediction on power usage of each consumer included in the group over each of time periods; a limit value setting unit 330 that sets limit values, based on a prediction result obtained by the first prediction unit 320 such that a total value of power usage of the consumers does not exceed the target power for each of the time periods; a second prediction unit 350 that predicts, within a current time period, power usage of the consumers over this time period; and a limit value adjustment unit 370 and a control information generation unit 340 that control the power usage of the equipment devices of each consumer, based on predicted values of the power usage of the consumers over the current time period, the predicted values being obtained by the second prediction unit 350.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a power control system and a program.

BACKGROUND ART

PTL 1 describes a power control system including a plurality of grouped consumers including a power meter that measures power consumption consumed by a load, and a control device that accepts power consumption measured by the power meter from each of the consumers, outputs group power consumption on a group-by-group basis by using the power consumption of each of the consumers, and performs control such that, when group power consumption of any group exceeds a group contract power set in advance for each group, the group power consumption of a power-exceeding group becomes equal to or less than the group contract power.

CITATION LIST Patent Literature

PTL 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2019-30087

SUMMARY OF INVENTION Technical Problem

Depending on a specific operation condition of each individual piece of consumer equipment, it may be necessary to adjust control for each piece of consumer equipment based on target power set for each group.

It is an object of the present disclosure to control power usage by a group including a plurality of consumers by performing additional adjustment according to a specific operation condition of each individual piece of consumer equipment and appropriately controlling power usage per piece of consumer equipment.

Solution to Problem

A power control system of the present disclosure is a power control system that is a system for performing power control such that a target power set for a group including a plurality of consumers is not exceeded, the system including first prediction unit that performs prediction on power usage of each consumer included in the group over each of predetermined time periods; limit value setting unit that sets limit values of power usage of each consumer, based on a prediction result obtained by the first prediction unit such that a total value of power usage of the consumers does not exceed the target power for each of the time periods; second prediction unit that predicts, within a current time period, power usage of the consumers included in the group over the current time period, based on actual results of power usage of equipment devices of the consumers included in the group; and control unit that controls the power usage of the equipment devices of each consumer, based on predicted values of the power usage of the consumers over the current time period, the predicted values being obtained by the second prediction unit, such that the limit values of the power usage of the consumers for the current time period are not exceeded.

This configuration can control power usage by a group including a plurality of consumers by performing additional adjustment according to a specific operation condition of each individual piece of consumer equipment and appropriately controlling power usage per piece of consumer equipment.

The first prediction unit may perform prediction on the power usage, based on at least history information related to past operation of the equipment devices of each consumer, and the second prediction unit may predict the power usage over the current time period, based on information on an operating status of the equipment devices of each consumer within the current time period.

This configuration enables adjustment based on a specific operation condition of each individual piece of consumer equipment in accordance with the operating status of the equipment devices of each consumer within the current time period.

Further, the control unit may control the power usage of the equipment devices of each consumer over the current time period so as to suppress a change over time in the power usage of the equipment devices of each consumer over the current time period.

This configuration enables appropriate control of power usage per piece of consumer equipment while suppressing a rapid change in the power usage of the equipment devices of each consumer.

Further, the control unit may control the power usage of the equipment devices of the consumers so as to suppress a change in the power usage of the equipment devices of the consumers before and after the current time period is switched to a time period subsequent to the current time period, based on the limit values of the power usage for the time period subsequent to the current time period, the power usage of the consumers over the current time period, and prediction results of the power usage of the consumers over the current time period.

This configuration enables appropriate control of power usage per piece of consumer equipment while suppressing a rapid change in the power usage of the equipment devices of the consumers before and after switching of time periods.

Further, when a prediction result obtained by the first prediction unit and a prediction result obtained by the second prediction unit satisfy a predetermined condition, the control unit may perform control on the equipment devices of the consumers such that the limit values of the power usage of the consumers for the current time period are exceeded.

This configuration provides control such that an initial limit value is exceeded in a preceding time period, and enables appropriate control of power usage per piece of consumer equipment while suppressing a rapid change in the power usage of the equipment devices of each consumer before and after switching of time periods.

Further, the control unit may perform control on the equipment device of one consumer among the consumers such that the limit value of power usage of the one consumer for the current time period is exceeded, by decreasing the limit value of power usage of an other consumer among the consumers when the other consumer has power usage less than the limit value of the power usage of the other consumer and increasing the limit value of the power usage of the one consumer by an amount by which the limit value of the power usage of the other consumer is decreased.

This configuration allows consumers to interchange available power usage, which is indicated by the initial limit value, and enables appropriate control of power usage per piece of consumer equipment.

A program of the present disclosure is a program for causing a computer for controlling a system for performing power control such that a target power set for a group including a plurality of consumers is not exceeded, to function as:

first prediction unit that performs prediction on power usage of each consumer included in the group over each of predetermined time periods; limit value setting unit that sets limit values of power usage of each consumer, based on a prediction result obtained by the first prediction unit such that a total value of power usage of the consumers does not exceed the target power for each of the time periods; second prediction unit that predicts, within a current time period, power usage of the consumers included in the group over the current time period, based on actual results of power usage of equipment devices of the consumers included in the group; and control unit that controls the power usage of the equipment devices of each consumer, based on predicted values of the power usage of the consumers over the current time period, the predicted values being obtained by the second prediction unit, such that the limit values of the power usage of the consumers for the current time period are not exceeded.

A computer having installed therein the program can control power usage by a group including a plurality of consumers by performing additional adjustment according to a specific operation condition of each individual piece of consumer equipment and appropriately controlling power usage per piece of consumer equipment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a control system for equipment devices to which the present embodiment is applied.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a server.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a control device.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example hardware configuration of the control device and the server.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an equipment device.

FIG. 6 includes diagrams illustrating an example of predicted power usage of one consumer, in which FIG. 6(A) is a diagram illustrating an example of actual results of power usage in the past, FIG. 6(B) is a diagram illustrating prediction results of power usage over a day, and FIG. 6(C) is a diagram illustrating an example of predicted values for respective time periods in the prediction results.

FIG. 7 includes diagrams illustrating an example of adding up predicted power usage of a group including a plurality of consumers, in which FIG. 7(A) is a diagram illustrating example predictions for the respective consumers included in the group, FIG. 7(B) is a diagram illustrating prediction results of the entire group, and FIG. 7(C) is a diagram illustrating an example of predicted values for respective time periods in the prediction results of the group.

FIG. 8 includes diagrams illustrating an example of limit values set for respective consumers included in a group, in which FIG. 8(A) is a diagram illustrating an example of prediction of average power used by the group per time period, FIG. 8(B) is a diagram illustrating a result of allocation of limit values to the consumers included in the group, and FIG. 8(C) is a diagram illustrating an example of limit values allocated to one of the consumers included in the group for the respective time periods.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between target power of a group and a limit value of each of consumers included in the group.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a relationship between a limit value of each consumer and a value of power usage based on intra-time-period prediction.

FIG. 11 includes diagrams illustrating an example of actual results of power usage of the individual consumers for which the limit values are adjusted, in which FIG. 11(A) is a diagram illustrating an example of a limit value that is decreased by adjustment, and FIG. 11(B) is a diagram illustrating an example of a limit value that is increased by adjustment.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating another example of a relationship between a limit value of each consumer and a value of power usage based on intra-time-period prediction.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

An embodiment will be described in detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<System Configuration>

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a control system for equipment devices to which the present embodiment is applied. The control system according to the present embodiment includes a control device 100, an equipment device 200 that is a device to be controlled, and a server 300. The control device 100 and the equipment device 200 are connected to each other via a network. The network may be a LAN (Local Area Network) using a dedicated line, a WAN (Wide Area Network), a VPN (Virtual Private Network) set on the Internet, or the like.

The equipment device 200 is a piece of equipment or a device that operates using power. The control device 100 controls the operation of one or more equipment devices 200. FIG. 1 illustrates an example configuration in which the control device 100 controls a plurality of equipment devices 200. The equipment devices 200 may be of any type as long as the equipment devices 200 are pieces of equipment or devices that operate using power and whose operation is controlled by the control device 100. The following description may describe an example in which the control system of the present embodiment is applied to control of an air conditioner as a specific example of the equipment devices 200.

Each of the equipment devices 200 includes a control unit that controls the equipment device 200 in accordance with an instruction from the control device 100. The control device 100 generates an instruction (hereinafter referred to as a “control instruction”) for controlling the equipment devices 200 to be controlled, and transmits the generated control instruction to each of the equipment devices 200. In each equipment device 200, the control instruction is acquired from the control device 100, and the control unit of the equipment device 200 performs setting of the equipment device 200 in accordance with the acquired control instruction and controls the operation.

The control device 100 and the server 300 are connected to each other via a network. In the example configuration illustrated in FIG. 1 , one control device 100 connected to the server 300 is illustrated. In actuality, a plurality of control devices 100 are connected to the server 300. Each control device 100 is connected to one or more equipment devices 200. The control device 100 and the server 300 are connected to each other via a network, examples of which include the Internet. A LAN or a WAN may be used instead.

<Relationship between Electricity Charges and Control of Equipment Devices 200>

Electricity charges will now be described. Electricity charges mainly include a base charge and a volume charge, and are specified on a monthly basis. Calculation of the base charge is based on the base charge unit price and the contract power. The contract power is set as the largest value of the maximum power demand over the past one year from the current month. The maximum power demand is the maximum value of monthly average power used per time period (demand time period: 30 minutes). The average power used is an average value of power demand (power usage) over each time period. Calculation of the volume charge is based on the volume charge unit price and the amount of power used per month.

As described above, the contract power is the largest value of the maximum power demand over the past one year. Accordingly, when the maximum power demand over a certain month (in other words, the average power used over a certain time period in the month) is the contract power, the base charge based on the contract power is charged over one year even if the maximum power demand is kept lower than the contract power after the month. When the average power used over a certain time period exceeds the value of the contract power so far and becomes equal to the maximum power demand for the month including the time period, the average power used (maximum power demand) over the time period is used as new contract power for the calculation of the base charge thereafter.

The volume charge unit price is set in various ways. The volume charge unit price may be set to vary under a predetermined condition. For example, the volume charge unit price may be set to vary by time of day, by weekday or weekend, by season, or the like. Due to the trading of electric power in the market, the volume charge unit price may be set to vary to reflect the trading price of electric power in the market.

The equipment devices 200 may be controlled for a reduction in electricity charges required for the operation of the equipment devices 200. In this case, it is demanded to control the equipment devices 200 so that the average power used does not exceed the current contract power. In a case where the volume charge unit price varies, it is more efficient to reduce the amount of power used in a high-unit-price time period than to reduce the amount of power used in a low-unit-price time period, in terms of reduction in electricity charges. However, the volume charge unit price affects only the volume charge per time period, whereas the contract power affects the electricity charges for one year after the current month. Accordingly, control that takes into account average power used is given priority over control that takes into account fluctuations in volume charge unit price.

Electricity charges are charged to the subscribers supplied with electricity. In the present embodiment, the subscribers supplied with electricity are assumed to be a group including a plurality of consumers. Accordingly, the average power used is obtained as a total value of average power used by the plurality of consumers included in the group over each time period. The base charge is determined based on the maximum power demand (maximum value of monthly average power used per time period) per group.

The maximum power demand per group is usually less than the total sum of the maximum power demands of the consumers included in the group. This is because the time period in which the maximum power demand is obtained is generally different among the consumers included in the group. Thus, the base charge set for the group is lower than the total sum of the base charges set for the consumers included in the group in accordance with the respective maximum power demands.

Each group is assigned one or more control devices 100. The one or more control devices 100 perform control on the equipment devices 200 of the consumers included in the group in consideration of the average power used per predetermined unit time and the volume charge unit price in accordance with the electricity charges (the base charge and the volume charge) set per group.

Each consumer possesses one or more equipment devices 200, and the control device 100 controls the equipment devices 200 of one or more consumers. However, one consumer does not always correspond to one control device 100. A plurality of equipment devices 200 possessed by one consumer may be controlled by a plurality of control devices 100, or equipment devices 200 possessed by a plurality of consumers may be controlled by one control device 100. One control device 100 may be assigned to a plurality of groups. For simplicity, the following description will be given, assuming a configuration in which one control device 100 is assigned to one consumer and an equipment device 200 of each consumer is controlled by the control device 100 corresponding to each consumer.

<Configuration of Server 300>

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the server 300. The server 300 is implemented as, for example, a server (so-called cloud server) constructed on a cloud environment of a network. The server 300 includes a group management unit 310, a first prediction unit 320, a limit value setting unit 330, a control information generation unit 340, a second prediction unit 350, an actual result information acquisition unit 360, a limit value adjustment unit 370, and a transmission control unit 380.

The group management unit 310 manages the group of consumers described above. As described above, the group is set as a unit of power contract. The group management unit 310 acquires and holds information on the contract power, the maximum power demand, and the average power used per time period of the group. The group management unit 310 further manages the consumers included in the group. The group management unit 310 acquires and holds information on the contract power, the maximum power demand, and the average power used per time period of each of the consumers included in the group. The information on the average power used by each consumer is obtained from, for example, the control device 100 that controls the equipment devices 200 of each consumer. The information on the average power used by the group is obtained from, for example, the control device 100 that controls the equipment devices 200 of the consumers included in the group (hereinafter referred to as “equipment devices 200 of the group”). Specifically, for example, total average power used by each consumer included in the group over each time period is set as the average power used by the group.

The first prediction unit 320 predicts, for each of the consumers included in the group, the average power used by the equipment devices 200 of the consumer over each time period. The first prediction unit 320 is an example of a prediction unit. The average power used over each time period is predicted by the first prediction unit 320, based on, for example, history information regarding the operation of the equipment device 200 of each consumer in the group in the past. The history information regarding the operation includes a wide variety of information related to the operation of the equipment devices 200, such as information on the operating environment of the equipment devices 200, as well as information on the operating state of the equipment devices 200. The information on the operating state of the equipment devices 200 includes, for example, information such as the operating rate, the continuous operating time, and the number of times of operation. The information on the operating environment includes, for example, weather conditions such as weather, temperature, and humidity, and information such as a month, a day, and a time of day.

The average power used over a specific time period of a specific date and time (hereinafter referred to as “specific time period”) may be predicted based on the average power used by the equipment device 200 over a reference time period relative to the specific time period. The reference time period is set based on, for example, history information regarding operation. The reference time period may be, for example, a past time period in which weather conditions are similar to weather conditions expected at the date and time to which the specific time period corresponds, or a corresponding time period of the same day of the same month a year ago. Alternatively, the average power used by the equipment device 200 over the specific time period may be predicted in consideration of the average power used by the equipment device 200 over time periods before and after the reference time period, the transition of the average power used by the equipment device 200 over time periods of several days until the day including the reference time period, or the like.

The limit value setting unit 330 sets, for each of the consumers included in the group, a limit value for the average power used by the equipment devices 200 of the consumer over each time period, based on the result predicted by the first prediction unit 320. The limit value setting unit 330 is an example of a setting unit. If the average power used by the group exceeds the contract power of the group, the average power used is set as new contract power, resulting in an increase in the base charge of the electricity charges. Accordingly, it is demanded to set, for the group, target power based on the contract power and to perform control such that the average power used by the entire equipment devices 200 of the group over each time period does not exceed the target power. Further, the limit value for each time period is set for each consumer such that the total value of the limit values of the consumers is equal to or less than a threshold based on the target power. The target power is set to a value equal to or less than the contract power, for example, to a value lower than the contract power by a certain value. The threshold is set to a value equal to or less than the target power, for example, a value lower than the target power by a certain value.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between target power of a group and a limit value of each of consumers included in the group. It is assumed that the value of the target power is equal to the threshold described above, which is compared with the total value of the limit values of the consumers. The example illustrated in FIG. 9 indicates that the value obtained by totaling the limit values of 12 consumers (consumer (1) to consumer (12)) does not exceed the target power of the group including the consumers. As illustrated in FIG. 9 , in the present embodiment, the power corresponding to the target power set for the group is allocated to the consumers included in the group. In this configuration, each of the consumers included in the group is an example of a unit of power consumption.

The limit value of each of the consumers included in the group is set based on, for example, prediction of the average power used by the consumer, which is performed by the first prediction unit 320. From the prediction by the first prediction unit 320, the predicted proportion of the average power used by each consumer in the group is identified for each time period. For example, in a case where the total value of the limit values of the consumers is set to be equal to the threshold based on the target power described above, the average power used corresponding to the threshold is divided according to the proportions of the average power used by the respective consumers, which are predicted by the first prediction unit 320, to determine the limit values of the respective consumers. In other words, the limit value means the power usage available to each consumer for the time period.

Alternatively, the limit value may be set based on the actual value of the average power used per consumer per time period in a past specific period, instead of based on the proportion of the average power used per consumer predicted for each time period. For example, the proportion of the actual value of the average power used by each consumer over the reference time period described in the description of the prediction by the first prediction unit 320 to the specific time period described in the same description is identified. The proportion of the actual value may be used to set the limit value of each consumer for the specific time period. The specific period is determined in accordance with the amount of information obtained as the actual value of the reference time period. The specific period may be set as, for example, the past one year or several years, or a period from a specific month and day to a specific month and day.

Alternatively, the limit value may be set based on the maximum value of the average power used per consumer per time period in the specific period. For example, it is assumed that the specific period is set as the past one year, the maximum value of the average power used per time period in the past one year can be obtained for each consumer. Then, the maximum values of the respective consumers may be compared with each other, and the limit values of the respective consumers may be set in proportions according to the ratio. In this case, unlike the use of the actual value of the reference time period, the time period in which the average power used is the maximum value may be different for each consumer.

Further, a lower limit may be set as a limit value. The lower limit is a value greater than 0. Accordingly, in the prediction by the first prediction unit 320, even when the average power used by a certain consumer over a certain time period is predicted to be 0, the limit value corresponding to the lower limit is set. Such a limit value is set to avoid inconvenience that, in a case where the limit value is set to 0 for the time period in which the average power used by a certain consumer is predicted to be 0, the limit value is exceeded immediately when the consumer uses the equipment device 200 in the time period. The average power used may be predicted to be 0 when, for example, the average power used by the consumer over the reference time period, which is used for the prediction by the first prediction unit 320, is 0.

The method for setting the lower limit may be appropriately determined in accordance with, for example, the operation or specification of the control system, or agreement within the group, between the consumers, or the like. For example, a fixed value may be determined in advance. Alternatively, a value that varies based on a predicted value or the like of the average power used by the entire group over each time period may be used. When a fixed value is to be set as the lower limit, the same value may be set for the consumers, or a different value may be set for each consumer according to an appropriate condition or a request from the consumer. The predicted value of the average power used by the entire group per time period is obtained by adding up the predicted values of the average power used by the consumers included in the group per time period, which are obtained by the first prediction unit 320.

When a lower limit is to be set as a limit value, a lower-limit threshold may be set for the limit value, and the lower limit may be applied as the limit value when the limit value assigned to a certain consumer falls below the lower-limit threshold. A value different from the lower limit may be set as the lower-limit threshold. For example, a value lower than the lower limit is set as the lower-limit threshold, when the limit value assigned to a certain consumer falls below the lower-limit threshold in a certain time period, the lower limit, which is higher than the lower-limit threshold, is set as the limit value of the consumer for the time period.

When the lower limit described above is set as a limit value, a limit value different from (larger than) the value based on the proportion specified by the limit value setting method described above is assigned to some of the consumers included in the group. Accordingly, if the value given as the lower limit is simply added to the value calculated by the proportion according to the setting method described above to set the limit value of each consumer, the total value of the limit values of the respective consumers may exceed the threshold based on the target power described above. It is therefore desirable to perform correction such that, if there is a consumer for which the lower limit is applied to the limit value, the total value of the limit values of the respective consumers that take into account the lower limit does not exceed the threshold. It is conceivable to set the limit value of each consumer such that, for example, a value obtained by adding together the value calculated by the proportion according to the setting method described above and the applied lower limit is equal to or less than the threshold described above. It is also conceivable to subtract the total of the applied lower limits from the limit value of the consumer to which the lower limit is not applied.

A description has been made that a limit value is set for the average power used by an equipment device 200 of each consumer over each time period. Alternatively, a configuration may be used in which a limit value is set only for the average power used over a time period satisfying a specific condition. For example, the predicted values of the average power used by the consumers included in the group over a certain time period, which are obtained by the first prediction unit 320, are added up to obtain the predicted value of the average power used by the entire group for the certain time period. A limit value may be set only for the average power used over such a time period on condition that the predicted value of the average power used by the group exceeds the threshold.

In contrast, consideration will be given to a case where the predicted value of the average power used by the group falls below the threshold described above. The threshold is set based on the target power, and the target power is set based on the contract power. For this reason, if many consumers in the group do not use large power during a certain time period (e.g., a time period from midnight to dawn), the predicted value of the average power used by the group during the time period is considered to fall significantly below the threshold. In this case, the limit value of each of the consumers included in the group may be set to a value higher than the predicted value of the average power used by the consumer within a range in which the total value of the limit values of the respective consumers does not exceed the threshold.

The control information generation unit 340 generates control information for controlling an equipment device 200 of each of the consumers included in the group. The control information is information for causing the control device 100 to control the equipment devices 200 so that the average power used by the equipment devices 200 of the consumer over each time period does not exceed the limit value of the consumer for the time period, which is set by the limit value setting unit 330. Accordingly, the control information includes information on the limit value set by the limit value setting unit 330 for each consumer. Before the start of each time period in which control is performed using each control information, the control information generation unit 340 generates control information for the time period.

When the limit value of each consumer, which is set by the limit value setting unit 330, is adjusted by the limit value adjustment unit 370, the control information generation unit 340 generates control information for reflecting the adjustment result of the limit value in the control of the equipment devices 200. When the control information based on the limit value set by the limit value setting unit 330 and the control information based on the limit value adjusted by the limit value adjustment unit 370 are hereinafter referred to as “general control information” and “individual control information”, respectively, if they are distinguished from each other. As will be described in detail below, the limit value adjustment unit 370 adjusts the limit value within a time period during which control for reflecting the adjustment of the limit value is performed. Accordingly, unlike the general control information, the individual control information is generated within a time period during which control is performed using the individual control information, after the time period starts.

In a time period during which the equipment devices 200 are currently being controlled (hereinafter referred to as a “current time period”), the second prediction unit 350 predicts the average power used by the equipment devices 200 over the current time period. The average power used is predicted by the second prediction unit 350, based on, for example, actual results of the power usage of the equipment devices 200 over the time period preceding the current time period. The prediction of the average power used by the equipment devices 200 in the current time period, which is performed by the second prediction unit 350, is hereinafter referred to as “intra-time-period prediction” when distinguished from the prediction by the first prediction unit 320 before the start of the time period.

The actual results of the power usage of the equipment devices 200 over a certain time period is determined after the time period ends. Accordingly, the total value determined for the power usage of an equipment device 200 of each consumer (hereinafter referred to as a “determined total value”) as an actual result of the group over a certain time period (e.g., the time period from 13:00 to 13:30) is obtained after the next time period (the time period from 13:30 to 14:00).

The second prediction unit 350 performs intra-time-period prediction, based on information on the operating status of an equipment device 200 of each consumer in the current time period and the determined total value in the time period preceding the current time period. The time period preceding the current time period, in which the determined total value is taken into account in the intra-time-period prediction, is not limited to the time period immediately preceding the current time period. In some cases, a determined total value in a time period that is a plurality of time periods preceding the current time period may be used. Alternatively, determined total values of a plurality of time periods preceding the current time period may be taken into account to perform intra-time-period prediction. The information on the operating status includes, for example, information such as the state of operation of the equipment device 200 and the settings related to the operation. For example, when the equipment device 200 is an air conditioner, information such as a difference between a set temperature and an actual room temperature can be used.

The actual result information acquisition unit 360 acquires actual result information related to the operating status of an equipment device 200 of each of the consumers included in the group. Examples of the acquired actual result information include the above-described actual result information for the current time period (actual result information from the start of the current time period to the time point at which the actual result information is acquired), and actual result information for a time period that has already ended. The actual result information may be acquired from the control device 100 that controls the equipment device 200 or may be acquired from the equipment device 200 itself. The actual result information for the current time period, which is acquired by the actual result information acquisition unit 360, is used by the second prediction unit 350 for the prediction of the average power used by the equipment device 200, by the limit value adjustment unit 370 for the adjustment of the limit value, and so on.

The limit value adjustment unit 370 adjusts the limit values of the consumers included in the group, which are set by the limit value setting unit 330, based on a predetermined condition. As an example, the limit value adjustment unit 370 adjusts the limit value of each consumer based on the prediction by the second prediction unit 350. As another example, the limit value adjustment unit 370 adjusts the limit value of each consumer based on the actual result information related to the operating status of the equipment device 200 during the current time period, which is acquired by the actual result information acquisition unit 360. The limit values are adjusted such that the consumers included in the group interchange the power usage available to the consumers. For example, the limit values of some consumers among the consumers included in the group are decreased, and the limit values of the other consumers are increased by an amount corresponding to the decrease in the limit values of some consumers. The adjustment of the limit values will be described in detail below.

The transmission control unit 380 transmits the control information generated by the control information generation unit 340 to the control device 100 that controls the equipment device 200 of the consumer corresponding to the control information. Before the start of each time period in which control is performed using each control information, the transmission control unit 380 transmits general control information for the time period to the control device 100. The transmission control unit 380 may transmit general control information for each time period to the control device 100 such that general control information for decreasing the power usage over the time period from the power usage over the immediately preceding time period is transmitted earlier than general control information for increasing the power usage over the time period from the power usage over the immediately preceding time period.

Further, immediately after individual control information is generated, the transmission control unit 380 transmits the individual control information to the control device 100 that controls the equipment device 200 to be controlled using the generated individual control information. The transmission control unit 380 may transmit individual control information to the control device 100 such that individual control information of the equipment device 200 whose limit value is decreased by adjustment is transmitted earlier than individual control information of the equipment device 200 whose limit value is increased by adjustment.

<Configuration of Control Device 100>

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the control device 100. The control device 100 is implemented as an information processing device connected to the server 300 and the equipment device 200 via a network. The control device 100 may be a device (e.g., an edge server) located close to the equipment device 200 to be controlled, or may be a server (cloud server) constructed on a cloud environment. The control device 100 includes a control information acquisition unit 110, an operation information acquisition unit 120, a storage unit 130, a control instruction generation unit 140, a control instruction output unit 150, and an operation information output unit 160.

The control information acquisition unit 110 acquires control information of the equipment device 200 from the server 300. The control information acquired by the control information acquisition unit 110 includes, as control information for a certain time period, general control information acquired before the start of the time period and individual control information acquired during the time period. The general control information includes information on a limit value of average power used that is set for each consumer. The individual control information includes information on a new limit value for adjusting the limit value included in the general control information for the current time period.

The operation information acquisition unit 120 acquires operation information of the equipment device 200 to be controlled by the control device 100. The operation information acquired by the operation information acquisition unit 120 includes a wide variety of information related to the operation of the equipment device 200. The operation information includes, for example, information indicating an operation state such as an operating rate or a continuous operating time of the equipment device 200. The operation information may include various kinds of information considered to affect the operation of the equipment device 200, such as a time of day in which the equipment device 200 is operated, and operation on weekdays or weekends. The operation information acquisition unit 120 may further acquire information on an environment in which the equipment device 200 is installed, such as temperature and humidity. These pieces of information can be acquired by various existing methods in accordance with the type of information. For example, the information may be acquired from the equipment device 200 itself or from various sensor devices or the like. Information on a date and time is obtained by, for example, a clock function or a calendar function of the control device 100.

The storage unit 130 stores various kinds of information acquired by the control information acquisition unit 110 and the operation information acquisition unit 120. The control information acquired by the control information acquisition unit 110 is used to control the equipment device 200. In the control information, the general control information for each time period is stored in the storage unit 130 before the start of the time period in which control is performed using each piece of general control information. The operation information of the equipment device 200, which is acquired by the operation information acquisition unit 120, is transmitted to the server 300 at a predetermined timing and is used for prediction by the first prediction unit 320 and the second prediction unit 350 of the server 300.

The control instruction generation unit 140 generates a control instruction for controlling the equipment device 200, based on the control information acquired by the control information acquisition unit 110. The control instruction generation unit 140 generates a control instruction for operating the equipment device 200 so that the average power used by an equipment device 200 of each consumer over each time period does not exceed the limit value set for the consumer for the time period. When a consumer has a plurality of equipment devices 200, a control instruction is generated for each time period so that the total value of average power used by all of the equipment devices 200 of the consumer does not exceed the limit value for the corresponding time period. In this case, the method by which the consumer allocates power to the plurality of equipment devices 200 thereof so that the limit value set for the consumer is not exceeded is not particularly limited. For example, power may be equally allocated according to the types, device scales, or the like of the equipment devices 200. Alternatively, a specific equipment device 200 may be allocated sufficient power, and the remaining power may be allocated to the other equipment devices 200. Alternatively, in a certain time period, some of the equipment devices 200 are not operated, and only other equipment devices 200 may use power. Alternatively, the control instruction generation unit 140 may generate a control instruction in consideration of the operation information of the equipment devices 200 acquired by the operation information acquisition unit 120. In the control information acquired by the control information acquisition unit 110, the control instruction generated by the control instruction generation unit 140 based on the general control information is held in the storage unit 130.

Further, the control instruction generation unit 140 generates, for the operating state of the equipment devices 200 of each consumer within the current time period, a control instruction for causing each of the equipment devices 200 to operate such that the change over time in power usage is suppressed. If the change over time in the power usage of the equipment devices 200 is large, the value of the power usage that changes with time greatly affects the average power used, which is determined at the end of the current time period. Accordingly, an increase in power usage near the end of the time period may cause the average power used over the current time period to exceed the limit value of the consumer. In addition, the accuracy of prediction by the second prediction unit 350 of the server 300 is reduced. To address this, depending on the type of the equipment device 200, control is performed so as to reduce the change over time in power usage in the operation within the time period. For example, it takes a certain amount of time until a sudden change in the operating state of an air conditioner as an example of the equipment device 200 affects the ambient temperature or humidity. Thus, it is considered that the difference in effect caused by the operation of the device between a case where the strength of the operating state is frequently switched and a case where the operation is continued at a constant strength is small. Accordingly, the control instruction generation unit 140 generates a control instruction such that the change over time in operating state is reduced in a range in which setting conditions such as room temperature and humidity are satisfied. To implement control such that the change over time in the power usage of the equipment device 200 is suppressed, it is necessary to recognize the operating state of the equipment device 200 in the current time period and to predict the average power used, which is determined when the current time period ends, within the current time period. Such control is thus performed in consideration of the prediction results obtained by the second prediction unit 350 of the server 300.

Further, the control instruction generation unit 140 generates, for the operating state of the equipment devices 200 of each consumer, a control instruction for causing each of the equipment devices 200 to operate such that the change over time in power usage is suppressed before and after the current time period is switched to the subsequent time period (time period immediately after the current time period). If control for suppressing the power usage of the equipment device 200 over the current time period is performed so as not to exceed the limit value, in the control, the settings of the equipment device 200 may be unsatisfied. For example, in an air conditioner as an example of the equipment device 200, the set temperature may not be reached due to the control for suppressing the power usage. In this case, when the current time period ends and is switched to the subsequent time period, control may be performed to increase the power usage to recover the operation of the equipment device 200 for which the power usage is suppressed. Accordingly, the control instruction generation unit 140 generates a control instruction such that, near the end of the current time period, the change over time in the operating state of the equipment device 200 is reduced before and after switching of time periods, based on the actual result of power demand by the equipment device 200 in the current time period, the prediction result of the average power used over the current time period, which is obtained by the second prediction unit 350 of the server 300, and the limit value for the subsequent time period.

The control instruction output unit 150 reads the control instruction generated by the control instruction generation unit 140 based on the general control information in the control information acquired by the control information acquisition unit 110 from the storage unit 130 during a time period in which control is performed using the general control information, and transmits the control instruction to the equipment device 200 to be controlled. Further, the control instruction output unit 150 immediately transmits the control instruction generated by the control instruction generation unit 140 based on the individual control information in the control information acquired by the control information acquisition unit 110 to the equipment device 200 to be controlled.

The operation information output unit 160 reads the operation information of the equipment device 200, which is acquired by the operation information acquisition unit 120 and held in the storage unit 130, from the storage unit 130 in accordance with a predetermined condition, and transmits the operation information to the server 300. The operation information may be read and transmitted in response to a request from the server 300 or may be read and transmitted periodically at a predetermined time of a day or the like.

<Hardware Configuration of Control Device 100 and Server 300>

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example hardware configuration of the control device 100 and the server 300. The control device 100 and the server 300 are implemented by a computer, for example. The control device 100 and the server 300 may be implemented as servers constructed in a cloud environment. Even in this case, the control device 100 and the server 300 are configured as virtual systems using system resources of physical computers, as illustrated in FIG. 4 , on a network.

The computer that implements the control device 100 includes an arithmetic unit, namely, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, and storage unit, namely, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 102, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 103, and a storage device 104. The RAM 102 is a main storage device (main memory) and is used as a working memory for the CPU 101 to perform arithmetic processing. The ROM 103 holds programs and data such as set values prepared in advance. The CPU 101 can directly read the programs and the data from the ROM 103 to execute processing. The storage device 104 is a unit for storing programs and data. The storage device 104 stores a program. The CPU 101 reads the program stored in the storage device 104 into the main storage device and executes the program. The storage device 104 further stores and saves a result of processing by the CPU 101. Examples of the storage device 104 include a magnetic disk device and an SSD (Solid State Drive).

When the control device 100 is implemented by the computer illustrated in FIG. 4 , the functions of the control information acquisition unit 110, the operation information acquisition unit 120, the control instruction generation unit 140, the control instruction output unit 150, and the operation information output unit 160 described with reference to FIG. 3 are implemented by, for example, the CPU 101 executing a program. The storage unit 130 is implemented by the RAM 102 or the storage device 104, for example. When the server 300 is implemented by the computer illustrated in FIG. 4 , the functions of the group management unit 310, the first prediction unit 320, the limit value setting unit 330, the control information generation unit 340, the second prediction unit 350, the actual result information acquisition unit 360, the limit value adjustment unit 370, and the transmission control unit 380 described with reference to FIG. 2 are implemented by, for example, the CPU 101 executing a program. The example configuration illustrated in FIG. 4 is merely an example in which the control device 100 is implemented by a computer.

<Configuration of Equipment Device 200>

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the equipment device 200. The equipment device 200 includes an acceptance unit 210, an operation control unit 220, and an output unit 230. The equipment device 200 includes a mechanism or a device that operates to implement the functions of the equipment device 200 in accordance with the type. For example, when the equipment device 200 is an air conditioner, the equipment device 200 includes an indoor unit, an outdoor unit, and the like. When the equipment device 200 is a piece of lighting equipment, the equipment device 200 includes a lighting fixture, a control switch, and the like. Such mechanisms and the like have various types and modes that vary depending on the type of the equipment device 200, and the types and modes are not illustrated.

The acceptance unit 210 accepts a control instruction, which is output from the control device 100, via a network by using a network interface (not illustrated).

The operation control unit 220 controls the operation of a mechanism or a device disposed in the equipment device 200 in accordance with the control instruction accepted by the acceptance unit 210. Specifically, for example, when the equipment device 200 is an air conditioner, the acceptance unit 210 accepts information specifying a set temperature as a control instruction, and the operation control unit 220 controls the operation of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit so that the accepted set temperature is achieved. While an example of control related to temperature setting has been given, control based on a control instruction by the operation control unit 220 can be applied to various types of control (e.g., control of humidity or gas components) related to gas that can be controlled by the air conditioner. Also in any equipment device 200 other than the air conditioner, the operation control unit 220 executes control corresponding to the type of the equipment device 200 in accordance with the control instruction accepted from the control device 100.

The output unit 230 outputs information related to the operation state of the equipment device 200 to the control device 100 via a network by using the network interface (not illustrated).

The acceptance unit 210, the operation control unit 220, and the output unit 230 are implemented by a computer, for example. The computer that implements the operation control unit 220 may have the configuration described with reference to FIG. 4 . In this case, the respective functions of the acceptance unit 210, the operation control unit 220, and the output unit 230 are implemented by, for example, the CPU 101 illustrated in FIG. 4 executing a program. The respective functions of the acceptance unit 210, the operation control unit 220, and the output unit 230 may be implemented by dedicated hardware. The functions may be implemented by, for example, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or any other circuit. A function implemented by the CPU 101 executing a program (software) and a function implemented by dedicated hardware may be combined to implement the acceptance unit 210, the operation control unit 220, and the output unit 230.

<Example of Set Limit Values>

In the present embodiment, a group including a plurality of consumers is a contract target, and contract power is set based on average power used per group per time period. The average power used per group per time period will further be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 6 includes diagrams illustrating an example of predicted power usage of one consumer. FIG. 6(A) is a diagram illustrating an example of actual results of power usage in the past, FIG. 6(B) is a diagram illustrating prediction results of power usage over a day, and FIG. 6(C) is a diagram illustrating an example of predicted values for respective time periods in the prediction results. In the graphs in FIGS. 6(A) and 6(B), the horizontal axis represents time periods (48 time periods) of a day (24 hours), and the vertical axis represents average power (kW) used per time period. The graphs in FIGS. 6(A) and 6(B) and the tables in FIG. 6(C) present the actual results and prediction results of average power used by the equipment devices 200 over the respective time periods of a day. Further, FIGS. 6(A) to 6(C) illustrate, for the equipment devices 200 of one consumer, the actual results and the prediction results of the entire equipment devices 200 possessed by the consumer and the actual results and the prediction results of the air conditioner among the equipment devices 200.

FIG. 6(A) illustrates the actual results of the average power used per time period of three days before (three days before, two days before, and one day before) the day on which the power usage is to be predicted. In the drawings, a graph with a light color indicates the actual results of the entire equipment devices 200, and a graph with a dark color indicates the actual results of the air conditioner. FIG. 6(B) illustrates an example of prediction results of average power used per time period, which are predicted in consideration of the actual results illustrated in FIG. 6(A). Also in FIG. 6(B), as in FIG. 6(A), a graph with a light color indicates the prediction results of the entire equipment devices 200, and a graph with a dark color indicates the prediction results of the air conditioner. In FIG. 6(C), the predicted values of the average power used by the entire equipment devices 200 (in the drawing, illustrated as “building” representing a facility in which the equipment devices 200 are installed) over the respective time periods (the first time period to the 48th time period) of a day and the predicted values of the average power used by the air conditioner among the equipment devices 200 are illustrated in association with each other.

FIG. 7 includes diagrams illustrating an example of adding up predicted power usage of a group including a plurality of consumers. FIG. 7(A) is a diagram illustrating example predictions for the respective consumers included in the group, FIG. 7(B) is a diagram illustrating prediction results of the entire group, and FIG. 7(C) is a diagram illustrating an example of predicted values for respective time periods in the prediction results of the group. In the graphs in FIGS. 7(A) and 7(B), the horizontal axis represents time periods (48 time periods) of a day (24 hours), and the vertical axis represents average power (kW) used per time period. The graphs in FIGS. 7(A) and 7(B) and the tables in FIG. 7(C) present the prediction results of average power used by the consumers and the group over the respective time periods of a day. The prediction results of average power used by the entire equipment devices 200 of each consumer are referred to as prediction results of average power used by the consumer or prediction results of the consumer.

FIG. 7(A) illustrates prediction results of average power used per consumer in the group per time period. In FIG. 7(A), only the prediction results of three consumers (consumers (1) to (3)) among the plurality of consumers included in the group are illustrated, and the prediction results of the others are omitted. In FIG. 7(A), a graph with a light color indicates the prediction results of the entire equipment devices 200, and a graph with a dark color indicates the prediction results of the air conditioner. FIG. 7(B) illustrates prediction results of average power used by the entire group including the three consumers illustrated in FIG. 7(A) over the respective time periods. In FIG. 7(B), segments (colors) of the graph for each time period indicate that the predicted values of the average power used by the consumers included in the group are added up for the corresponding time period. FIG. 7(C) illustrates total values of the prediction results of average power used per consumer over the respective time periods (the first time period to the 48th time period) of a day.

It is assumed that the group has a target power (denoted by “target value” in the drawing) of 1000 kW. Referring to FIGS. 7(B) and 7(C), the predicted values of the average power used by the entire group over the 22nd time period to the 31st time period exceed the target power. Accordingly, the limit value for the power usage of each of the consumers included in the group is set such that, during at least these time periods, the predicted values of the average power used by the entire group do not exceed the target power. The limit value itself of each consumer may be set not only for a time period in which the predicted value of the entire group exceeds the target power but also for another time period in which the predicted value of the entire group does not exceed the target power.

FIG. 8 includes diagrams illustrating an example of limit values set for respective consumers included in a group. FIG. 8(A) is a diagram illustrating an example of prediction of average power used by the group per time period, FIG. 8(B) is a diagram illustrating a result of allocation of limit values to the consumers included in the group, and FIG. 8(C) is a diagram illustrating an example of limit values allocated to one of the consumers included in the group for the respective time periods. In the graphs in FIGS. 8(A) and 8(B), the horizontal axis represents time periods (48 time periods) of a day (24 hours), and the vertical axis represents average power (kW) used per time period.

FIG. 8(A) illustrates prediction results of average power used per consumer in the group per time period. The illustrated graph is the same as the graph illustrated in FIG. 7(B). FIG. 8(B) illustrates an example of the result of allocation of limit values set for the consumers included in the group when the average power used by the group for each time period is made equal to the target power. In FIG. 8(B), segments (colors) of the graph for each time period indicate the proportions of the limit values allocated to the respective consumers (power usage available to the consumers) for the corresponding time period. In principle, the proportions of the limit values allocated to the respective consumers for each time period are the proportions of the predicted values of the average power used by the respective consumers in the prediction of the average power used by the group illustrated in FIG. 8(A). Depending on the predicted value of each consumer, a lower limit, instead of the proportion of the predicted value of the average power used, may be assigned as the limit value. FIG. 8(C) illustrates the limit values for the respective time periods (the first time period to the 48th time period) of a day, which are allocated to one consumer (consumer (1)) among the consumers included in the group.

<Example of Adjustment of Limit Values>

In the present embodiment, a limit value for the average power used by each consumer in the group is set, for each time period in which the equipment device 200 of the consumer is controlled, before the time period starts, based on the prediction before the start of the time period. Such a limit value is used to control the equipment device 200 of each consumer. When the time period starts, the limit value of each consumer is adjusted as necessary based on the intra-time-period prediction, and the control of the equipment device 200 in the time period is changed. The adjustment of the limit value will further be described with reference to the drawings. In the following example, a case will be described in which the value of the target power and the threshold based on the target power are equal to each other and in which the total value of the limit values of the consumers included in the group is controlled to be equal to or less than the target power of the group.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a relationship between a limit value of each consumer and a value of power usage based on intra-time-period prediction. In the example illustrated in FIG. 10 , three consumers (consumer (1) to consumer (3)) are included in a group. FIG. 10 illustrates, for a certain time period, a limit value of each consumer that is set based on the prediction by the first prediction unit 320 before the time period starts (hereinafter referred to as an “initial limit value”), a predicted value of the average power used by each consumer over the time period that is obtained by the intra-time-period prediction by the second prediction unit 350 (hereinafter referred to as an “intra-time-period predicted value”), and a limit value of each consumer that is adjusted by the limit value adjustment unit 370 based on the intra-time-period prediction by the second prediction unit 350 (hereinafter referred to as an “adjusted limit value”).

In the example illustrated in FIG. 10 , the group has a target power of 450 kW for a certain time period (time period of 14:00 to 14:30 in the drawing). The initial limit value of the consumer (1) is set to 100 kW, the initial limit value of the consumer (2) is set to 150 kW, and the initial limit value of the consumer (3) is set to 200 kW.

When each consumer actually uses power in this time period, the power actually used may deviate from that predicted by the first prediction unit 320 before the start of the time period due to the operating status or environment of the equipment device 200. In the example illustrated in FIG. 10 , as a result of the intra-time-period prediction by the second prediction unit 350, the intra-time-period predicted value (represented as “predicted value” in the drawing) of the consumer (1) is 110 kW, the intra-time-period predicted value of the consumer (2) is 140 kW, and the intra-time-period predicted value of the consumer (3) is 230 kW.

As a result of comparison between the initial limit value and the intra-time-period predicted value of each consumer, the intra-time-period predicted value of the consumer (1) is larger than the initial limit value thereof by 10 kW. The intra-time-period predicted value of the consumer (2) is smaller than the initial limit value thereof by 10 kW. The intra-time-period predicted value of the consumer (3) is larger than the initial limit value thereof by 30 kW. As a result, the total value of the intra-time-period predicted values in the entire group is larger than (deviates from) the target power by 30 kW. Accordingly, the limit values are adjusted in consideration of the differences between the initial limit values and the intra-time-period predicted values (in other words, in consideration of the influence of the operating status or environment of the equipment devices 200).

The method for adjusting the limit values is not particularly limited. For example, the difference between the total value of the initial limit values and the total value of the intra-time-period predicted values may be equally divided to the consumers, the difference between the total value of the initial limit values and the total value of the intra-time-period predicted values may be divided according to the ratio of the initial limit values or the intra-time-period predicted values of the consumers, or any other method may be adopted. In the example illustrated in FIG. 10 , the difference (30 kW) between the initial limit values and the intra-time-period predicted values is equally divided to the three consumers included in the group, and 10 kW is subtracted from the intra-time-period predicted value of each of the consumers to obtain the adjusted limit value. As a result, the adjusted limit value of the consumer (1) is 100 kW, the adjusted limit value of the consumer (2) is 130 kW, and the adjusted limit value of the consumer (3) is 220 kW.

FIG. 11 includes diagrams illustrating an example of actual results of power usage of the individual consumers for which the limit values are adjusted. FIG. 11(A) is a diagram illustrating an example of a limit value that is decreased by adjustment, and FIG. 11(B) is a diagram illustrating an example of a limit value that is increased by adjustment. FIGS. 11(A) and 11(B) present graphs illustrating an example of actual results of power usage of the consumers (2) and (3) in the group illustrated in FIG. 10 over one time period (time period of 14:00 to 14:30).

In the graphs, the horizontal axis represents the time period (30 minutes), and the vertical axis represents the average power used over the time period, which is estimated from the actual results of power demand up to the respective time points over time. In the graphs, the power usage over one time period is indicated by a line reaching the value of the average power used, at the end of the time period. In the graphs, the power usage is indicated by a straight line when the power usage is constant over one time period. The angle of the straight line decreases as the average power used over the time period decreases. The angle of the straight line increases as the average power used over the time period increases. Each of the graphs illustrated in FIGS. 11(A) and 11(B) illustrates a straight line C reaching the initial limit value of each consumer at the end of the time period, and a curve P representing the actual values.

In the example illustrated in FIG. 10 , the initial limit value of the consumer (2) is 150 kW. Accordingly, the straight line C in the graph of the consumer (2) illustrated in FIG. 11(A) is a straight line reaching 150 kW at the end (14:30) of the time period. The actual power demand of the consumer (2) is smaller than the average power used corresponding to the initial limit value. Thus, the curve P of the actual values deviates downward from the straight line C. Intra-time-period prediction is performed in the middle (14:15 in the drawing) of the time period, and 140 kW is obtained as an intra-time-period predicted value (represented as a “predicted value” in the drawing). In FIG. 11(A), the predicted power usage of the consumer (2) from the time point (14:15) at which the intra-time-period prediction is performed to the time point (14:30) at which the time period ends is indicated by a broken line branching from the curve P at the time point (14:15) of the intra-time-period prediction. Thereafter, as described with reference to FIG. 10 , the limit value is adjusted based on the difference between the total value of the intra-time-period predicted values and the target power (the total value of the initial limit values), and the power usage of the consumer (2) (represented as a “final value” in the drawing) is controlled to be equal to or less than the adjusted limit value, namely, 130 kW. In the example illustrated in FIG. 10 , the initial limit value of the consumer (3) is 200 kW. Accordingly, the straight line C in the graph of the consumer (3) illustrated in FIG. 11(B) is a straight line reaching 200 kW at the end (14:30) of the time period. The actual power demand of the consumer (3) is larger than the average power used corresponding to the initial limit value. Thus, the curve P of the actual values deviates upward from the straight line C. Intra-time-period prediction is performed in the middle (14:15 in the drawing) of the time period, and 230 kW is obtained as an intra-time-period predicted value. In FIG. 11(B), the predicted power usage of the consumer (3) from the time point (14:15) at which the intra-time-period prediction is performed to the time point (14:30) at which the time period ends is indicated by a broken line branching from the curve P at the time point (14:15) of the intra-time-period prediction. Thereafter, the limit value is adjusted based on the difference between the total value of the intra-time-period predicted values and the target power (the total value of the initial limit values), and the power usage of the consumer (3) is controlled to be equal to or less than the adjusted limit value, namely, 220 kW.

In FIG. 11 , the time at which the intra-time-period prediction is performed (15 minutes after the start of the time period) is merely an example and is not limited to the above-described and illustrated time. In view of the adjustment of the limit values after a certain number of actual results are obtained by the operation of the equipment devices 200 within the current time period, the intra-time-period prediction may be performed after a certain amount of time elapses from the start of the time period. Alternatively, the intra-time-period prediction itself may be continuously performed from the start of the time period, and the limit values may be adjusted when a condition such as a condition that the difference between the limit values and the actual results is equal to or greater than a certain value is satisfied.

In the example of adjustment of the limit values described with reference to FIG. 10 , the difference between the total value of the initial limit values and the total value of the intra-time-period predicted values of the consumers is equally divided to the consumers. Next, another example of adjustment of the limit values will be described in which the difference between the total value of the initial limit values and the total value of the intra-time-period predicted values is divided according to the ratio of the intra-time-period predicted values of the consumers.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating another example of a relationship between a limit value of each consumer and a value of power usage based on intra-time-period prediction. In the example illustrated in FIG. 12 , the consumers included in the group, the target power of the group, the initial limit values set for the respective consumers, and the intra-time-period predicted values (described as “predicted values” in the drawing) of the consumers are the same as those in the example illustrated in FIG. 10 . Here, the ratio of the intra-time-period predicted values of the respective consumers is not simply used, but attention is focused on an air conditioner among the equipment devices 200 of the consumers. A proportion of the power usage of the air conditioner (hereinafter referred to as an “air-conditioner share”) in each of the intra-time-period predicted values is used. When the limit values are adjusted, it is complicated to change the control based on the adjusted limit values for all the equipment devices 200 of each consumer. In this example, the adjustment of the limit value for a specific equipment device 200 of each consumer is reflected. The specific equipment device 200 is not particularly limited. In an example, an air conditioner expected to use a large amount of power is selected among the equipment devices 200 of the consumer.

In the example illustrated in FIG. 12 , it is assumed that the intra-time-period predicted value (110 kW) of the consumer (1) has an air-conditioner share of 40 kW, the intra-time-period predicted value (140 kW) of the consumer (2) has an air-conditioner share of 50 kW, and the intra-time-period predicted value (230 kW) of the consumer (3) has an air-conditioner share of 70 kW. The sum of the air-conditioner shares in the intra-time-period predicted values of the respective consumers is 160 kW(=40 kW+50 kW+70 kW). The adjusted limit value of each consumer is calculated by, for example, the following equation.

Adjusted limit value=Intra-time-period predicted value −30 kW×air-conditioner share of target consumer/160 kW

The above equation yields:

102.5 kW(=110−30×40/160) as the adjusted limit value of the consumer (1);

130.625 kW(=140−30×50/160) as the adjusted limit value of the consumer (2); and

216.875 kW(=230−30×70/160) as the adjusted limit value of the consumer (3).

The calculation method of the adjusted limit values illustrated in FIG. 12 is merely an example and is not limited to the calculation formula or calculation target (air-conditioner share) described above.

In the current time period, the control device 100 acquires information on the operation from the equipment device 200 and transmits the information to the server 300. The second prediction unit 350 of the server 300 analyzes the acquired information and performs intra-time-period prediction. The limit value adjustment unit 370 adjusts the limit value as necessary based on the intra-time-period prediction. Upon the adjustment of the limit value, the control information generation unit 340 of the server 300 generates individual control information including the adjusted limit value, and the transmission control unit 380 transmits the generated individual control information to the control device 100.

Upon the adjustment of the limit value in the current time period, the control device 100 replaces the initial limit value acquired in the general control information with the adjusted limit value newly acquired in the individual control information. Then, the control device 100 generates a control instruction for controlling the equipment device 200 of each consumer such that the power usage of the consumer does not exceed the adjusted limit value, and transmits the control instruction to each equipment device 200. As described above, depending on the consumer to which the limit value is given, the adjusted limit value exceeds the initial limit value. In other words, in this case, the control device 100 performs control on the equipment device 200 of such a consumer such that the power usage exceeds the initial limit value given in the general control information.

In this case, it can be said that the adjusted limit value exceeds the initial limit value of a certain consumer, and decreases the initial limit value of another consumer. Both the sum of the initial limit values and the sum of the adjusted limit values are the values corresponding to the target power of the group. As a result, the sum of the amounts of increase in the adjusted limit values that increase from the initial limit values and the sum of the amounts of decrease in the adjusted limit values that decrease from the initial limit values are equal to each other. In the entire group, accordingly, when control is performed such that the power usage of the equipment device 200 of a consumer exceeds the initial limit value, the initial limit value of another consumer having power usage less than the initial limit value is decreased to obtain an adjusted limit value. In addition, the initial limit value of the consumer is increased by an amount corresponding to the decrease in the initial limit value of the other consumer to obtain an adjusted limit value.

While an embodiment has been described above, the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiment described above. For example, in the embodiment described above, a limit value is set before the start of the time period during which control based on control information is performed, and the limit value can be adjusted after the start of the time period. Alternatively, instead of a limit value being set before the start of the time period, a limit value may be set in accordance with the operating status of the equipment devices 200 within the time period. In the embodiment described above, the server 300 adjusts the limit value after the start of the time period. Alternatively, the control device 100 may adjust the limit value. In this case, when a plurality of control devices 100 control the equipment devices 200 of all of the consumers included in the group, the control devices 100 may exchange information on the operating status of the equipment devices 200 and adjust the limit values in accordance with the obtained information.

In the embodiment described above, the second prediction unit 350 of the server 300 performs intra-time-period prediction to predict the power usage over the current time period in consideration of the determined total value for the time period preceding the current time period. When a certain amount of time elapses after the start of the current time period, information on the actual result of the power usage of the equipment device 200 for an amount of elapsed time in the current time period is obtained. Accordingly, after a certain period of time elapses after the start of the current time period, intra-time-period prediction may be performed in consideration of a total value (hereinafter, referred to as an “intermediate total value”) of the power usage of the equipment device 200 of each consumer for an amount of elapsed time in the current time period instead of the determined total value for the preceding time period. Alternatively, after a certain period of time elapses after the start of the current time period, intra-time-period prediction may be performed in consideration of both the determined total value for the preceding time period and the intermediate total value for the current time period. Various modifications and substitutions of configurations that are made without departing from the scope of the technical idea of the present disclosure are included in the present disclosure.

Here, the embodiment described above may be implemented as follows. A power control system of the present disclosure is a power control system that is a system for performing power control such that a target power set for a group including a plurality of consumers is not exceeded, the system including a first prediction unit 320 that performs prediction on power usage of each consumer included in the group over each of predetermined time periods; a limit value setting unit 330 that sets limit values of power usage of each consumer, based on a prediction result obtained by the first prediction unit 320 such that a total value of power usage of the consumers does not exceed the target power for each of the time periods; a second prediction unit 350 that predicts, within a current time period, power usage of the consumers included in the group over this time period, based on actual results of power usage of equipment devices of the consumers included in the group; and a limit value adjustment unit 370 and a control information generation unit 340 that control the power usage of the equipment devices of each consumer, based on predicted values of the power usage of the consumers over the current time period, the predicted values being obtained by the second prediction unit 350, such that the limit values of the power usage of the consumers for this time period are not exceeded.

This configuration can control power usage by a group including a plurality of consumers by performing additional adjustment according to a specific operation condition of each individual piece of consumer equipment and appropriately controlling power usage per piece of consumer equipment.

The first prediction unit 320 may perform prediction on the power usage, based on at least history information related to past operation of the equipment devices of each consumer, and the second prediction unit 350 may predict the power usage over the current time period, based on information on an operating status of the equipment devices of each consumer within this time period.

This configuration enables adjustment based on a specific operation condition of each individual piece of consumer equipment in accordance with the operating status of the equipment devices of each consumer within the current time period.

Further, the control information generation unit 340 may control the power usage of the equipment devices of each consumer over the current time period so as to suppress a change over time in the power usage.

This configuration enables appropriate control of power usage per piece of consumer equipment while suppressing a rapid change in the power usage of the equipment devices of each consumer.

Further, the control information generation unit 340 may control the power usage of the equipment devices of the consumers so as to suppress a change in the power usage of the equipment devices of the consumers before and after the current time period is switched to a time period subsequent to the current time period, based on the limit values of the power usage for the time period subsequent to the current time period, the power usage of the consumers over the current time period, and prediction results of the power usage of the consumers over the current time period.

This configuration enables appropriate control of power usage per piece of consumer equipment while suppressing a rapid change in the power usage of the equipment devices of each consumer before and after switching of time periods.

Further, when a prediction result obtained by the first prediction unit 320 and a prediction result obtained by the second prediction unit 350 satisfy a predetermined condition, the control information generation unit 340 may perform control on the equipment devices of the consumers such that the limit values of the power usage of the consumers for the current time period are exceeded.

This configuration provides control such that an initial limit value is exceeded in a preceding time period, and enables appropriate control of power usage per piece of consumer equipment while suppressing a rapid change in the power usage of the equipment devices of each consumer before and after switching of time periods.

Further, the control information generation unit 340 may perform control on the equipment device of one consumer among the consumers such that the limit value of power usage of the one consumer for the current time period is exceeded, by decreasing the limit value of power usage of an other consumer among the consumers when the other consumer has power usage less than the limit value of the power usage of the other consumer and increasing the limit value of the power usage of the one consumer by an amount by which the limit value of the power usage of the other consumer is decreased.

This configuration allows consumers to interchange available power usage, which is indicated by the initial limit value, and enables appropriate control of power usage per piece of consumer equipment.

A program of the present disclosure is a program for causing a computer for controlling a system for performing power control such that a target power set for a group including a plurality of consumers is not exceeded, to function as:

a first prediction unit 320 that performs prediction on power usage of each consumer included in the group over each of predetermined time periods; a limit value setting unit 330 that sets limit values of power usage of each consumer, based on a prediction result obtained by the first prediction unit 320 such that a total value of power usage of the consumers does not exceed the target power for each of the time periods; a second prediction unit 350 that predicts, within a current time period, power usage of the consumers included in the group over this time period, based on actual results of power usage of equipment devices of the consumers included in the group; and a limit value adjustment unit 370 and a control information generation unit 340 that control the power usage of the equipment devices of each consumer, based on predicted values of the power usage of the consumers over the current time period, the predicted values being obtained by the second prediction unit 350, such that the limit values of the power usage of the consumers for the time period are not exceeded.

A computer having installed therein the program can control power usage by a group including a plurality of consumers by performing additional adjustment according to a specific operation condition of each individual piece of consumer equipment and appropriately controlling power usage per piece of consumer equipment.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

-   -   100 control device     -   110 control information acquisition unit     -   120 operation information acquisition unit     -   130 storage unit     -   140 control instruction generation unit     -   150 control instruction output unit     -   160 operation information output unit     -   200 equipment device     -   210 acceptance unit     -   220 operation control unit     -   230 output unit     -   300 server     -   310 group management unit     -   320 first prediction unit     -   330 limit value setting unit     -   340 control information generation unit     -   350 second prediction unit     -   360 actual result information acquisition unit     -   370 limit value adjustment unit     -   380 transmission control unit 

1. A power control system for performing power control such that a target power set for a group including a plurality of consumers is not exceeded, the system comprising: first prediction unit that performs prediction on power usage of each consumer included in the group over each of predetermined time periods; limit value setting unit that sets limit values of power usage of each consumer, based on a prediction result obtained by the first prediction unit such that a total value of power usage of the consumers does not exceed the target power for each of the time periods; second prediction unit that predicts, within a current time period, power usage of the consumers included in the group over the current time period, based on actual results of power usage of equipment devices of the consumers included in the group; and control unit that controls the power usage of the equipment devices of each consumer, based on predicted values of the power usage of the consumers over the current time period, the predicted values being obtained by the second prediction unit, such that the limit values of the power usage of the consumers for the current time period are not exceeded.
 2. The power control system according to claim 1, wherein the first prediction unit performs prediction on the power usage, based on at least history information related to past operation of the equipment devices of each consumer, and the second prediction unit predicts the power usage over the current time period, based on information on an operating status of the equipment devices of each consumer within the current time period.
 3. The power control system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the power usage of the equipment devices of each consumer over the current time period so as to suppress a change over time in the power usage of the equipment devices of each consumer over the current time period.
 4. The power control system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the power usage of the equipment devices of the consumers so as to suppress a change in the power usage of the equipment devices of the consumers before and after the current time period is switched to a time period subsequent to the current time period, based on the limit values of the power usage for the time period subsequent to the current time period, the power usage of the consumers over the current time period, and prediction results of the power usage of the consumers over the current time period.
 5. The power control system according to claim 4, wherein, when a prediction result obtained by the first prediction unit and a prediction result obtained by the second prediction unit satisfy a predetermined condition, the control unit performs control on the equipment devices of the consumers such that the limit values of the power usage of the consumers for the current time period are exceeded.
 6. The power control system according to claim 5, wherein the control unit performs control on the equipment device of one consumer among the consumers such that the limit value of power usage of the one consumer for the current time period is exceeded, by decreasing the limit value of power usage of an other consumer among the consumers when the other consumer has power usage less than the limit value of the power usage of the other consumer and increasing the limit value of the power usage of the one consumer by an amount by which the limit value of the power usage of the other consumer is decreased.
 7. A program for causing a computer for controlling a system for performing power control such that a target power set for a group including a plurality of consumers is not exceeded, to function as: first prediction unit that performs prediction on power usage of each consumer included in the group over each of predetermined time periods; limit value setting unit that sets limit values of power usage of each consumer, based on a prediction result obtained by the first prediction unit such that a total value of power usage of the consumers does not exceed the target power for each of the time periods; second prediction unit that predicts, within a current time period, power usage of the consumers included in the group over the current time period, based on actual results of power usage of equipment devices of the consumers included in the group; and control unit that controls the power usage of the equipment devices of each consumer, based on predicted values of the power usage of the consumers over the current time period, the predicted values being obtained by the second prediction unit, such that the limit values of the power usage of the consumers for the current time period are not exceeded. 